Palatial estate with ties to Dallas' infamous gambling past goes on market for $3.7 million

Two cabins on the property date back to the 1930s, when the land was owned by gambler Herbert "The Cat" Noble.

It's an extravagant Grapevine Lake estate with a connection to one of Dallas' most notorious figures.

And now the two-story home and its surrounding 2 acres are up for sale for the first time with a list price of $3.7 million.

The 9,334-square-foot estate, built and owned by custom home builder Ken Hodge, is the big-ticket draw. But it's two cabins on the property that add to its appeal.

The two 1930s-era cabins that were built when notorious gambler Herbert "The Cat" Noble owned the land.(Shoot2Sell / <p><span style="font-size: 1em; background-color: transparent;">Jim Striegel Team</span></p>)

The cabins date to the 1930s, when the land was owned by infamous gambler Herbert "The Cat" Noble.

Noble, who lived in Oak Cliff but owned a ranch near Grapevine Lake, survived 11 assassination attempts in the 1930s and 1940s that he blamed on racketeer, self-styled cowboy and early Las Vegas casino owner Benny Binion. The pair's long-running feud resulted in several deaths, including Noble's wife, who died in a 1949 car bombing intended for him.

In retaliation, Noble planned to fly his private plane to Las Vegas to bomb Binion's house, but he was restrained by local law enforcement before he could do so. In 1951, as Noble drove up to his mailbox, a bomb exploded and killed him, according to a 1991 Texas Monthly story titled Benny and the Boys.

Former Dallas Morning News writer Doug J. Swanson chronicled Dallas' gangster days and more in his 2015 book, Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion.

Hodge kept the two cabins intact when he built the home in 1997 in the upscale Point Noble community in Flower Mound. The home features five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms. Inside, it's accented with Corinthian columns, crystal chandeliers, fresco ceilings, an iron staircase entryway and a grand room with a Napoleon III fireplace.

"Three of the bedrooms include private balconies overlooking the lake, and the property provides privacy and a tranquil environment from which to enjoy the spectacular sunsets," said listing agent Jim Striegel, whose sales team is affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.

Paul O'Donnell, Business Editor. Paul directs the work of an award-winning staff covering business news in the nation's fourth largest metro region. He's been The News' business editor since 2015. Before that, he was editor-in-chief at the Dallas Business Journal and business editor at the Cleveland Plain Dealer.